Counsel to the Maroko evictees, who were resettled at Ikota Low-Cost Housing Estate by Lagos State government, Mr. Adeyemi Abijo, has assured his clients that the government is keen on compensating victims whose estates were taken over by developers.

He expressed hope that the evictees would be compensated by the government, following the outcome of conversations between parties at the mediation table, which has now been adjourned to August 1, 2023.

“Although the case is still in court, mediation session is just a process of seeing how you can resolve a case without having to go through the whole hog of the rigours and technicalities of the court proceedings. If we are able to settle, the case will abate,” he stated.

Speaking after the session, which involved the government’s lawyer and his clients in Alausa, Abijo recalled the genesis of the dispute and how it ended up in the mediation session.

He explained that his firm tried vehemently to convince the court to order that status quo be maintained when it was obvious that the developers were bent on demolishing his clients’ homes following a series of harassments and intimidations.

“We mounted pressure on the judge, arguing that if the court was not going to grant any injunction, then it must make a pronouncement stopping all the parties from whatever action, knowing full well that at that time, the developers were trying as much as possible to demolish a lot more properties.

“However, the judge in his wisdom thought that the best way to do this was to assign the case for a mediation team, which he did,” he explained.

He added that parties have been able to get some level of commitments that hopefully will resolve the matter amicably.

“The developers and the state have made commitments that they will try as much as possible to put together a process by which all legal occupants of Ikota housing estate will be paid some value for their properties.

“But in the process of trying to realise this, we also got information from the counsel to the State that there are other contending parties, a few of whom have also gone to court against the government and the developers on the same matter. They expressed their wish to have the group at the negotiation table as well,” the lawyer informed.

Abijo further explained that the reason his clients went to court was that the process of taking them out was illegal, adding that the processes and activities being carried on in that place by the developers are illegal.

According to him, the law is clear regarding rights to property ownership and acquisition.

He stressed that it is a constitutional right that at any time the state or federal government elects to acquire property from anybody who is legally in possession, due process must be followed.

“You give notice, engage the people and pay compensation in lieu of the property. In this case, such things were not done. We are very clear on the illegality they have done, that is why they are also ready to settle. In case they later reneged, one day, the

court will certainly pronounce that all they have done is illegality,” he noted.